Door-latch-operating device



Sept. 22, 1925.

' F. A. ANDERSON DOOR LATCH OPERATING DEVICE Filed March 2. 1922 Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK AIQQLIH NDEBS CHIC G ILLINOIS.

! DOOR-LATGH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed March 2, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Anonrrr rhvnnnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door- Latch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to operating devices for hinged and latch secured doors, and has for its object to provide means by which doors may be expeditiously unlatched and opened with a minimum expenditure of energy and without confusion, thereby pro viding against undue physical strain upon. an operator in releasing the latch and opening the door.

The preferred form of the invention comprises a unitary pivotal member mounted upon the door and adapted to be moved from either side thereof about its pivot in the direction in which the door opens to release the latch and thereafter by pulling or pressing thereon in the same direction to serve as a means .for opening the door.

Another form of the invention provides for the use of a pivotal member upon each side of the door, each member operable in the same manner as the preferred form of the invention to release the latch and to serve as a means for opening the door.

In the drawings in which the invention has been illustrated in connection with a steel fire door:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of one side of a door showing the operating device applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view thereof partly in section looking from the left-hand side;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a similar door with a modified form of the invention embodied thereon;

Fig. 4: is a side view thereof looking from the left-hand side, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken upon the line 5--5 thereof and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

As illustrated in the drawings, the inven tion has been applied to a heavy steel fire door, but it will readily be understood that its usefulness need not be confined alone to such doors.

Referring to Fig. 1, represents a door frame with a door 11 hinged thereto (the Serial No. 540,444.

hinged side thereof not shown). The latch mechanism illustrated comprises top and lower latches 14: and 15 and a central latch 16, all pivotally supported upon one face of the door and suitably connected together by a common latch bar 17. Latch keepers secured to the door frame 10 are indicated at 18, 18 and retaining and guiding straps 19,

' 19 for the latches 14, 15 and 16 are suitably positioned upon the door with the lower strap adapted to act as a stop for the latches in their downward movement. The lower strap 19 is also provided with a screw 22 suitably positioned therein to limit the movement upward of the latches after they have been released from their keepers 18, 18. Upon the latch bar 17 between the. latches 15and 16 and at a suitable distance from the floor is formed or welded a lug 23 which projects from the latch bar 17 toward the hinged side of the door. A bracket 24' is secured to the door opposite the end of the lug 23 and pivotally supported thereon is a lever 25. provided with a horizontally dis-- posed arm 27 adapted to engage the under side of the lug 23. (See Fig. 2.) A vertical arm 28 of preferably circular cross section projects upwardly from the pivotal point of the lever a suitable distance to form a handle and at its top is curved forward and downwardly upon a radius drawn from the pivot point of the lever 25 to pass through anopening 30 formed in the door to form an operating arm 31 for the opposite side of the door. Upon the end of the arm 31 is secured a head 32 of any suitable shape for moving the lever 25 about its pivot when the door is to be unlatched and opened from the side opposite to the side upon which the lever 25 is pivoted.

Upon each side of the door and surrounding the arm 31 of the lever 25 are circular plates 33 adapted to fit the arm snugly. The plates 33 are secured to the door by screws34; passing through slots 35 formed in the plates and when mounting the lever 25 upon the door the arm 31 with a plate 33 thereon is passed through the opening in the door and another plate is then put on the arm and both plates are then moved up upon opposite sides of the door and screwed. in place. the threaded holes for the screws already being formed in the door within the range of the slots 35 in the plates. The purpose of the plates 33 is to effectively seal the opening in the door, which is larger than the cross section of the arm 31, from the passage of flame, which feature is vital when the operating device is used upon fire doors.

to pull onthe arm 27 after it has released the latches and has come to agstop, due to'the latch engaging the screw 22 positioned 1n.

the lower strap 19, the door may be opened. By pressing on the arm 31 in the direction in which the door .opens, the latches will be released in the same manneras is'done by gullingfon the arm 28,-thereby allowing the cor to' 'be opened from the opposite side thereof.

e vFigs; 3,4, and Sillustratea modified form of theinvent on nwhich levers-37 and 38 are. mounted upon opposite sides of the .door. ported upon a bracket 39isecured-to the door abovethe latch ltiQ A horizontally disposed.

4.0 of the lever g ipasses through a recitangular shaped opening 41 formed in the door. and engages the underside of a lug i2 on the latch bar..l.7.. A downwardly projectingarm 43 0f suitableshape on the lever 37 forms a handle therefor. The opening 41in the'door' is large enough to allowfor the maximum travel upward of-the armdO (see Fig. 4) .when the lug 4:2 is moved upward, and to=effectively sealrthe' opening all in the doorfrom the passage of flame the bracket 39-is formed'with enclosing horizontal and vertical walls 47, 4L7 (see Figs. 4 and 5) which form a housing around the aEII 4:0 andthe opening 39, thereby effectively sealing the opening 41. w 'The lever 38 is pivotallysupported upo thedoor dincetly in front of the latch bar 17 and below the latch 16 by a. pair of brackets 48 secured tothe'door upon each side of the latch bar 17. A horizontallydisposed arm 49. on. the lever -38, engages the upper side of a. rectangular shaped opening. 50

formed inv the latch ban-'17 An arm 51 of suitable shape-and length projects upwardly from the pivotal .form a: handle therefor and bypulling therepoint ofthe lever. 38 to on. in the direction in whicht-he door opens, the arm d9. willslift the latch bar 1:? upward and. thereby release the latches from their keepers, and by continuing topull .on the arm t9 the. dQQr maybe opened; The depth of the opening 5,0, in the latch bar 17 is such pressed in the: direction in which the door ep nstc lift he latch bar 17 the under side The lever .37 is.pivotally sup.

tion of force thereto in the direction 7 my name this 27th that when .the arm 43. of thexlever. 37 is scription may be formed on the head 32 ef' the lever 25 and the arm 4E3of the lever. 37, as indicated in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and 8, to notify an operator in which direction they are to be moved. 1

door to engage directly under the latch to cause 1ts release and also in case two'levers,

It will readily be seen that in case a door"? is provided with a single latch that the arm 27 .on the lever 25 may be positioned 'on the like the levers 37 and 38 uponopposite sides.

of the door, are used in connection with-a single latch that the latch may be formed I with a suitable portionefor engagement with the arm 4L0 of the lever B'T-andthe' arm.- 49

opening formed in the latch to cause its'release. 1 a

The invention provides an operating device for hinged and latch secured doors .of-the lever may be-engaged in a suitablei which maybe readily and easily'applied and one which requires a minimum of physical energy to operate.

What. is claimed'is: r I 1. A device for operating latch secured doors, comprising ahandle member mounted solely on one side of thedoonand havinga portion thereof -movable back and forth through the door, said handle member being operatively disposed with respect to the latch and operable from-either side of the doorso'lely by theapplication of forcethereto in the direction inwhich the'door opens. '-2.=A device for operating latch secured doors, comprising a latch engaging member mounted solely on one pivotala-xis and hav 1" ing aportion thereof movable back and forth through-the door, said membenopee able from either side of the doorto release the latch andoperable solely by the applicain which the door opens.

3.:A device for operating latclr secured doors, comprising a latch engaging member pivotally mounted solely on one side of the ra nnmcK. Anotrnaamiason.

,door and having an ai cuate portionnmovable back and forth throughthe door, saidmem- .ber operable-from either side. of rthe door 

